Nobel Prize energizes 'Gore for '08' movement
But former vice president shows no signs of running.
By Linda Feldmann | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the October 13, 2007 edition
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WASHINGTON - The speculation is over: Al Gore has won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, along with the UN International Panel on Climate Change, for his work on global warming.
The news out of Oslo, announced Friday morning, caps a year of accolades for the former vice president. In March, he won an Academy Award for his documentary on climate change, "An Inconvenient Truth." In May, his latest book, "The Assault on Reason," debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list. In September, his interactive cable network Current TV won an Emmy.
Now, the man who nearly won the presidency in 2000 faces another round of "Will Al run for president?" In anticipation of the Nobel Prize, the draft-Gore movement has been ramping up its efforts, including a full-page ad Wednesday in the New York Times calling on Mr. Gore to run.
Fewer than three months before the Iowa caucuses, Gore could still jump in, given his fame, campaign experience, and fund-raising network, political analysts say. But he has all but ruled it out – leaving the tiniest crack open, perhaps only to give his message on the future of the planet an extra click of attention. Former Gore aides insist he has no plans to run, and sources close to Gore say they have seen no signs of serious thought in that direction.
So why is there still this yearning for another Gore candidacy? After all, Democrats tell pollsters they're happy with their slate of candidates – happier than the Republicans are with theirs. Yet Gore still gets about 10 percent or more of the Democratic primary vote in national polls.
"First, there's a lingering frustration from 2000 that gets heightened because of all the problems that have confronted the Bush administration," says John Geer, a political scientist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. "Gore's been right about the big issues of the last 20 years. People can make fun of him, but when you look at all the problems facing the country, this is someone who has a pretty good track record."
Mr. Geer also cites concerns with the current Democratic frontrunner, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. She was an early supporter of the Iraq War who came to oppose it relatively recently, in contrast to Gore's early, vocal opposition. Senator Clinton's electability in the general election also represents an area of concern for some Democrats, because of her high negatives and polarizing quality.
For now, though, Gore is enjoying his latest moment of glory, and is pitching his message above politics.
"I am deeply honored to receive the Nobel Peace Prize," Gore wrote on his website Friday morning, also citing his co-winner, the UN climate-change panel. "We face a true planetary emergency," he continued. "The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity."
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